RUNNINGS

BY HARRY KIRSBAUM

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

emember the days before the SUVs — when station wagons
ruled suburbia? Those were the wistful days of our collective
past, before airbags and child safety seats. When children were
free to roam about the car at will. When countless car-pooling moms
would pick up neighborhood kids from school in the 1965 wood-paneled
station wagon. Those days are making a comeback. Well, at least the station
wagon is making a comeback.
I'm idling outside Farmer Jack in the 2005 Dodge Magnum RT. With a
5.7-liter, 340 horsepower, HENII V-8 engine, this vehicle gets 17 mpg in
the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The four-wheel independent touring
suspension makes for a smooth, comfortable and quiet ride, even at 100
mph. The vehicle hits zero to 60 in 6.1 seconds and tops out at 126 mph.

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JNPLATINUM • FEBRUARY 2005

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